the may garden ~ blooms, birds, bounty

clematis

iris 

clematis 

roses 

sage

iris

roses

strawberries, raspberries, lavender, oregano, lemon balm, thyme,
parsley, rosemary, chives, mint, sage, chamomile

clockwise from bottom left bed around to the center bed:
carrots, garlic, beets, greens, potatoes (x6 beds), cucumbers, sweet peppers, basil, celeriac, broccoli rapini, carrots, onions, tomatoes (romas, beefsteak & cherry) with carrots


blackberries

robin babies

Our May weather has been a great combination of sunny, warm days mingled with rainy days. This means the seedlings in the gardens have germinated and the plants are happy and growing.

We've had a startling bounty of strawberries ~ over 80 pounds! This has exceeded expectation so much so that we are tired of picking strawberries! Our freezer has over 25 quarts of this fruit, so I think pies, syrup, smoothies and preserves are set for the near (and far?) future. 

Kale and lettuce thrive this time of year, so we've had our daily serving of salad, usually it has been strawberry salad! 

Other than that we are enjoying fresh herbs too, and just waiting for other plants to grow to enjoy them as well. June should bring carrots, cucumbers, more greens and maybe even a few early potatoes, but the real harvest will begin in July. This is a good thing because our calendar for June is full. There will be just enough time to weed here and there and mow, but other than that the garden is on its own. This works well, though, because really all the plants need are good soil, sun and rain now and then to thrive. 

The blooms in the garden have been enjoyable too. Next up should be a showcase of hydrangea blooms, my husband's favorite. I'm very thankful for the beauty in my backyard. When we first moved in the backyard was scary and I wouldn't go back there! A little love and care here and there has accumulated to such a lovely space to enjoy, and really so much of the plants grow on their own and we just have to trim and maintain them. I'm not sure how it looks from an outside point of view, but it's actually easy to maintain, providing more time for enjoyment.